One to Watch: Dianna Sohn

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It seems NYC-based designer Dianna Sohn could have had any career she wanted -- and indeed, she tried a few on for size before settling into fashion. Initially a pre-med student at Cornell, Sohn switched majors to photography and found herself teaching high school art soon after graduating. Upon leaving academia, Sohn entered the fashion realm with internships at Index, Vogue, and eventually a staff position at TeenVogue -- only to come to the realization that design was her true calling and enroll in evening classes at Parsons.

"To me, fashion is a culmination of everything I'm interested in," explains Sohn. "Working with my hands, line, texture, form, function, pattern making—taking something flat and making it three dimensional is like a form of sculpture for me—photography and, of course, drawing." Indeed, her latest collection, which was inspired by satellite images of atmospheres and planetary topography, refelects her fine arts background, particularly in its use of contrasting textures and materials. "I'm drawn to anything tactile so when I'm selecting fabrics, if it's technically or visually interesting and I want to reach out and touch it, it's a good sign."

While the collection is chockablock full of pieces one feels compelled to test between their fingers, Sohn's sense of proportion and form is equally praiseworthy, as in a skirted blouse with precisely tailored bracelet sleeves, or a pair of not-too-wide trousers in stamped croc. Sohn describes the look as "streamlined femininity," and claims her focus remains on creating pieces that are "wearable and luxurious" but, just as importantly, "attainable for many women."